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• Raag Antardhwani •

S-r-g-m-d-N-S Among the youngest ragas to have found global acclaim, Antardhwani (‘Sound of the Inner Self’) was unveiled by Shivkumar Sharma in the 1990s, who discovered its unique hexatonic shape by chance while retuning his santoor from one raga to another (although their identity remains a mystery…). Adapting the geometries of Todi and Bhairavi, the […]

 

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• Raag DoGa Kalyan •

S-gG-M-P-D-N-S A Ravi Shankar creation taking the form of ‘Yaman with komal ga instead of Re’ (‘DoGa’: ‘Double-Gandhar’) – which, despite never having been released in classical form, may have left its mark on modern music as a possible source for The Beatles’ Blue Jay Way, composed by Shankar’s sitar student George Harrison in 1967. […]

 

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• Raag Yaman •

S-R-G-M-P-D-N-S Among the first-learned and most-performed ragas, Yaman’s influence on modern Hindustani music is impossible to overstate. Linked to the early night hours (‘when lanterns are lit’), the disbalancing effects of tivra Ma – the only non-shuddha swara on offer – allow for a kaleidoscopic emotional range, with Sa and Pa often being skipped in […]

 

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• Raag Todi •

S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S Pivotal to Hindustani history, Todi overflows with musical ideas found nowhere else on the planet. Some link its ambiguous geometries with ‘existential anguish and unsettlement’, while others hear ‘the playfulness of a newborn, content and smiling’. Rajan Parrikar hails it as “the most profound, finespun idea in melodic music…from ecstasy, to frolic, to pathos, […]

 

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• Raag Tilak Kamod •

S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Mirroring the tones of the Western Major Scale, Tilak Kamod’s seven swaras offer robust melodic flexibility across a range of sentiments (“heroic courage, philosophic poise, devotional contentment, suggestive eroticism…”). Some trace the raga’s origin to Pyar Khan, a rabab-playing descendent of Tansen via his son Bilas Khan, who is said to have picked it […]

 

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• Raag Shree •

S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S According to Gwalior vocalist Omkarnath Thakur, Shree’s seven swaras are associated with those sunset hours when “disembodied spirits…become active, and aid in the black magic of Tantriks”. Tied to mythologies of Lord Shiva, the raga takes its name from ‘sri’, a sacred Sanskrit syllable which, in Vedic tradition, represents the material nature of humanity’s place […]

 

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• Raag Puriya Dhanashree •

S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S Like the scale-congruent Shree, Puriya Dhanashree’s versatile hemitonic clusters outline a major triad (SGP) with the first and last steps ‘enclosed’ by their neighbours to present two sets of three adjacent swaras (NSr, MPd). Pa, while often omitted in aroha, exerts its gravity on descending melodies, easing the tension of the tivra Ma by […]

 

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• Raag Puriya •

S-r-G-M-D-N-S A prominent sunset raga, Puriya takes the same six swaras as Marwa and Sohini, reworking them to present a distinct set of melodic forces. Renditions tend to focus on mandra and madhya saptak, seeking a relatively even balance between ascending and descending phrases – with its character often considered more ‘melodic’ than Marwa (which is […]

 

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• Raag Poorvi •

S-r-G-mM-P-d-N-S Poorvi is a long-lived sunset raga from East India, which some describe as evoking a ‘serious mood of mystical contemplation’. Mixing narrow and wide intervals (all swaras have at least one immediate neighbour), its complex twists and turns belie the base scale’s neat, palindromic nature – with Sa and Pa sometimes being omitted or rendered […]

 

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• Raag Patdeep •

S-R-g-m-P-D-N-S Derived from the Dhanashree family, Patdeep somewhat resembles a ‘shuddha Ni Bhimpalasi’ (akin to the Western Melodic Minor), with both ragas ascending pentatonically before revealing Re and Dha in descent. Its unique scale structure, which features a distinctive run of four adjacent whole-tone jumps (g>m>P>D>N), brings natural prominence to komal ga and shuddha Ni as […]

 

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• Raag Multani •

S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S Multani is an afternoon raga of angular shape and ancient heritage, which, while matching the seven swaras of Todi thaat, takes unique phrase patterns – with re and dha omitted in ascent and generally rendered durbal throughout. Bhatkhande is said to have considered it the ‘daytime’ counterpart of Basant – while, in Deepak Raja’s […]

 

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• Raag Marwa •

S-r-G-M-D-N-S Notable for omitting its own Sa for long stretches, the hexatonic Marwa conjures moods of ‘austere, spiritual renunciation’ – summoning these sentiments with low, slow lines which patiently outline the raga’s highly irregular geometry (three adjacent plus three wide-set swaras: NSr; GMD). Its descent-dominant melodies, which avoid Pa throughout, often tease at resolutions which […]

 

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• Raag Lalit •

S-r-G-mM-d-N-S Lalit (meaning ‘Lyrical’) is an oddly-shaped sunrise raga, resembling ‘Bhairav with Pa lowered a semitone’. Among the most influential forms in Hindustani history, its distinctive ‘double Ma, no Pa’ structure has a malleable ambiguity, capable of conjuring flavours ranging from ‘sadness and anguish’ to ‘the serene and devotional‘ (as per santooriya Tarun Bhattacharya in […]

 

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• Raag Jogkauns •

S-gG-m-P-d-N-S Created by Jagannathbuwa Purohit ‘Gunidas’ in the 1940s (also the progenitor of Swanandi and Jaun Bhairav), Jogkauns is usually summarised as ‘Jog plus Chandrakauns’. However, the Agra vocal master’s original inception drew more from the melodies of a ‘raised Ni‘ Malkauns offshoot than from Chandrakauns itself, which was then still in its infancy (Parrikar: […]

 

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• Raag Bihag •

S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S Created via the artful grafting of tivra Ma onto a Bilawal-oriented base, Bihag contains a wealth of melodic possibilities. Long linked to late evening festivities, its meend-laden tendencies are explored with symmetrical articulations and fluid resolution phrases, guided by nuanced swara hierarchies which may display significant gharana-to-gharana variance. The tivra Ma, while tending to […]

 

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• Raag Bhairav •

S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Revered as the foremost raga of Lord Shiva, the morning Bhairav takes its name from Kala Bhairava (‘Bhaya-Rava’: ‘the one who roars fear’) – an apocalyptic manifestation of the deity fabled to have cut off one of Brahma’s five heads to silence his arrogance. Renditions reflect the gravity of these ancient tales, depicting Shiva’s […]

 

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• Raag Maru •

S-R-G-M-D-N-S Rare to the point of near-extinction in its own right, the historic Maru is now best known as an ingredient of the highly popular Maru Bihag. In the words of scholar-singer Arun Dravid: “It is not well known, even in the music world, that Maru Bihag is a mixed raga…very few people know that […]

 

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• Raag Latangi •

S-R-G-M-P-d-N-S A unique sampurna scale borrowed from the 63rd Carnatic mela, which takes the form of ‘Kalyan komal dha’ (or ‘Yaman’s poorvang + Bhairav’s uttarang’: SRGM+PdNS). Subbha Rao’s Raga Nidhi Vol.3, written in the early 1960s, mentions that “Latangi is not found in Hindustani music” (p.90) – and it remains unclear who first imported the […]

 

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• Raag Bilawal •

S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Approximates the Western Major Scale, thus taking an ‘all-shuddha’ sampurna swara set – and selected by the great V.N. Bhatkhande as the titular raga of Bilawal thaat – although its popularity has declined in the century since (partly in favour of prakritis such as Tilak Kamod and Bihari). Dha and Ga assume vital roles […]

 

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• Raag Deepavali •

S-R-G-mM-D-N-S A tantalising invention of bansuri pioneer Pannalal Ghosh, with a scale resembling ‘Bihag no Pa’ (or even ‘Bilawal komal Pa’/’Major Scale b5‘). As with Pannababu’s other creations, debate persists as to exactly how he conceptualised the raga – his own renditions span a multitude of ideas, and, at the time of his sudden passing aged […]

 

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• Raag Madhu Multani •

S-r-g-M-P-D-N-S An aprachalit raga combining Multani’s poorvang with Madhuvanti’s uttarang (also viewable as ‘Madhuvanti komal re’ or ‘Multani shuddha Dha’), which I found during my search for ragas matching the ‘32 thaat’ (=all possible 7-swara sampurna scales). Conceived by prolific rare raga explorer Abhirang in 2020, who banishes Re and Dha in aroha alongside other […]

 

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• Raag Hindol •

S-G-M-D-N-S A captivating, challenging audav raga with all swaras appearing in their highest specific positions (i.e. no komals, and Ma, if present, is tivra: also see Bhupali, Hansadhwani, & Adbhut Kalyan). The name translates as ‘swinging’: indicative of the raga’s melodic character, which is built around ‘swaying’ motions between a SGD trio of nyas, with […]

 

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• Raag Basant •

S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S Basant (meaning ‘Springtime’) is a historic and highly influential form, with a lineage stretching back to at least the 8th century. The raga’s modern incarnation matches the swaras of Poorvi thaat, with shades of shuddha ma also permitted in some interpretations (e.g. SmmG; mdrS). Phraseological allies include Puriya (GMdNM; mdGmG) and Shree (e.g. NrS; […]

 

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• Raag Gujiri Todi •

S-r-g-M-d-N-S A popular Todi variant named for its association with Gujarat, India’s Westernmost state. Linked to the morning hours, it takes a similar swara set to the main Todi, distinguishing itself by omitting Pa throughout. Dagarvani beenkar Bahauddin Dagar chooses to intone the raga’s Sa (the only ‘detached‘ swara) with a slightly higher sruti than that […]

 

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• Raag Shankara •

S-R-G-P-D-N-S Long fabled as a favourite of Lord Shiva, Shankara (‘Auspicious‘) takes its name from a famous epithet of the deity (Rajan Parrikar: “the musical embodiment of [Shiva’s] personality, comporting with all its attributes: raudra, veera, irascible, volatile, capricious…”). A pre-midnight raga, it ascends with SGPDNS, often in vakra patterns, before adding subtle touches of […]

 

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• Raag Maru Bihag •

S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S Despite its A-list status (Deepak Raja’s Ragascape research estimates it as the 13th most-performed raga of the modern era), Maru Bihag is a relatively recent invention, at least in its own right – Parrikar notes that “Manikbua Thakurdas speaks of an older Raag Maru [SRGMDNS] as its progenitor…but the Maru Bihag in currency [today] […]

 

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• Raag Kedar •

S-R-mM-P-D-N-S An early night raga, Kedar is traditionally associated with heat (Tanarang: “there is much thermal energy in this melody…hence it is regarded as a ragini of Deepak“: Tansen’s legendary fire-bringing raga). Often seen as particularly subtle, complex, and hard-to-perform – partly due to its curiously wide aroha jump from Sa to Ma (depending on […]

 

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• Raag Shyam Kalyan •

S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S Shyam Kalyan (‘Evening Kalyan‘) is a prachalit Kalyan variant. Ga is used sparingly in ascent, and typically skipped in phrases which run through the scale sequentially, and shuddha ma is taken in descent only – while Re is emphasised throughout, and Pa is available as a resting note. As per Tanarang‘s summary, the raga is “a very […]

 

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• Raag Shuddha Basant •

S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S Typically considered the modern successor to the ‘original’ form of Basant – with Maihar musicians such as Nikhil Banerjee and Nityanand Haldipur considering it inseparable from Adi Basant (‘shuddha’, as well as referring to ‘pure’ or ‘unaltered’ swaras, may also indicate ‘primary’ or ‘original’: similar to the meaning of ‘adi’). Generally, it differs from […]

 

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• Raag Nat (Shuddha) •

S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Described by Parrikar as “singular for its unabashed promiscuity”, Nat is perennially popular as a jod ingredient (see Nat Bihag, Nat Bhairav, Nat Kamod, Chayanat, and Jaijaiwanti Nat). The raga has likely origins in the age before Hindustani and Carnatic music’s bifurcation (while seemingly being unrelated to the Southern ‘Nata’), although renditions of its […]

 

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• Raag Madhuvanti •

S-R-g-M-P-D-N-S A shringara raga of recent origin, Madhuvanti is geared towards evoking a ‘sweet’ flavour (‘Madhu’ means ‘Honey’). Rajan Parrikar cites “shared credits for its development…Vilayat Khan is said to have conceived it [in the] 1940s…and around the same time, Vamanrao Padhye of Kolhapur composed a similar raga and called it ‘Ambika’, after the Goddess […]

 

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• Raag Lakshmi Kalyan •

S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S An enchanting but seldom-heard raga, taking the swara set of ‘Kalyan double-Ma’ (n.b. ‘Lakshmi’ refers to the Hindu goddess of power, prosperity, and fortune). Described by slide guitarist Deepak Kshirsagar as “a combination of Shuddha Sarang and Shyam Kalyan, [although] some combine Shuddha Sarang and Kamod..or use [the swaras of] Shyam Kalyan in the […]

 

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• Raag Gauri •

S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Described by Deepak Raja as “difficult to render in its purity”, Gauri is associated with viraha shringara (‘the piety arising from the separation of lovers’). The raga had at least two distinct forms as far back as the 16th century, and continues to manifest in several variations – principally a main Bhairav-ang ‘shuddha ma‘ […]

 

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• Raag Kamod •

S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S An intricate raga which draws together elements from many others (Tanarang: “this dynamic melody is rather complex…one can see clear shadows of Malhar [SmRP], Hameer [GmDP], and Kalyan [SRS, SDP], together with glimpses of Kedar [MPDP] and Chayanat [PDPS, SRS]”). Distinguishing sequences include RRP, GmPGmRS, the taar Sa is accentuated with long P/S slides, […]

 

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• Raag Vihang •

S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S Vihang (Sanskrit for ‘Bird’) is a complex double-Ma form, most prevalent among Jaipur-Atrauli gharana vocalists. Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar’s detailed demo casts it as a ‘phrase-based’ raga, combining a Bihag core with melodies from Purva, Jait Kalyan, and Puriya, alongside connecting phrases such as MDMG, rS – also linking it Marwa and Puriya Kalyan. Tabla scholar Aneesh Pradhan […]

 

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• Raag Kokilapriya •

S-r-g-m-P-D-N-S The Carnatic Kokilapriya scale (mela #11) is still barely known in the North (‘kokilapriya’: ‘the one who is dear to the koel bird‘). Its unique shape, resembling ‘Bhairavi–Yaman’, has several curious properties: with an ‘all-komal’ poorvang (Srgm) and ‘all-shuddha’ uttarang (PDNS), it is ‘palindromic’ (=symmetric from Sa) – but 5 of its swaras are ‘imperfect’ […]

 

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• Raag Annapurna •

S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S From my 2018 Darbar interview with bansuri maestro Rupak Kulkarni: “I lately composed Raag Annapurna: dedicated to Maa Annapurna Devi, my grand-guru [teacher of my teacher]. It is a combination of morning and evening ragas, so can be played at either of these times”. In 2022 I asked Kulkarni for more info: he described […]

 

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• Raag Pancham •

S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S An ancient raga of great historical renown, which is nevertheless rare in the modern era. Ramrang cites it as a descendent of the long-extinct Bhukosh (also an antecedent of Bhinna Shadja), with others linking it to the prakriti Bhankar and Bhatiyar (distinguished via sequences such as GMGrS; mmmGP; MDMmG). Most interpretations approximate the swaras […]

 

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• Raag Nand •

S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S Associated with Lord Krishna, Nand (also known as ‘Anandi’ or ‘Anandi Kalyan’) rose to prominence around the turn of the 20th century – initially gaining renown through a pair of bandishes by Mehboob Khan ‘Daraspiya’ (Dhundu Bare Saiyan) and Vilayat Hussain Khan ‘Pranpiya’ (Ajahun Na Aye). Aarshin Karande describes the raga as being “regarded […]

 

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• Raag Asa Bhairav •

S-rR-G-m-P-D-N-S A joining of Bhairav and the archaic Sikh form Asa (Sanskrit for ‘Hope’), matching the swaras of ‘Bilawal double-Re’ – with the shuddha taken in ascent, and the komal in descent. Parrikar notes that “the Bhairav-ang is expressed in the poorvang [e.g. Gm(G)rS], and the rest of the contour looks to Asa [e.g. S, S(m)RmP, […]

 

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• Raag Sohini •

S-r-G-M-D-N-S Sharing its six swaras with Marwa and Puriya, Sohini aims for a looser, more sprightly flavour to these more famous congruents – focusing on agile movements in madhya and taar saptaks, and uttarang-based phrases built on a strong Dha–Ga sangati. Re is banned in aroha, and Sa assumes greater strength than in Marwa, while […]

 

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• Raag Purba •

S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S A rare raga of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, described by Rajan Parrikar as “essentially Raag Poorvi adorned with bells and whistles” – in particular, the Ma-mixing catchphrases Sm, mGP and MMPPd, dNdP. Refer to the Rajshekhar Mansur bandish transcribed below, which showcases uttarang forays of MP, PdNdP and a prominent M\G glide. Also recorded by […]

 

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• Raag Nat Bhairav •

S-R-G-m-P-d-N-S A direct combination of Nat in poorvang and Bhairav in uttarang (SRGm+PdNS), Nat Bhairav was sitar icon Ravi Shankar‘s first raga creation, released in the pre-Independence music scene of 1945 – inspired by Shankar hearing an allied theme sung in a lecture-demo by legendary musicologist B.R. Deodhar (read the full origin tale below). Flavours of Bhairav […]

 

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• Raag Lalita Gauri •

S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S Spanning a diverse range of ‘Lalit + Gauri‘ experiments, the name ‘Lalita Gauri’ essentially refers to the general concept of fusing these two ragas rather than a specific melodic form. The most prominent modern incarnation was created by Jaipur-Atrauli vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar (who often employed it as a concert centrepiece), although differing forms of the […]

 

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• Raag Kirwani •

S-R-g-m-P-d-N-S Despite its congruence with the Western Harmonic Minor, Kirwani has origins in the Carnatic Keeravani (likely via Ravi Shankar‘s extensive Southern borrowings): thus lending it a natural popularity for North-South jugalbandi duets, offering artists from both cultures a rich expanse of shared melodic territory. Like many Southern imports, Kirwani is comparatively ‘open’, allowing for near-free […]

 

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• Raag Khem Kalyan •

S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S A rare-but-charming raga of the Agra gharana, Khem Kalyan is a Kalyan variant with Hansadhwani-like touches. In his essay The Precious Kalyan, Imdadkhani sitarist-scholar Deepak Raja recounts his quest to decode and reconstruct its workings from old recordings, having failed to find a guru who knew it: “This was no ordinary raga…not even just […]

 

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• Raag Kalingada •

S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Kalingada shares the same seven swaras as Bhairav, but approaches them in distinct fashion – generally preferring a simpler, less ornamented character (as per Rajan Parrikar: “Kalingada has a flippant mien…far less austere than Bhairav. Ga and Pa are advanced to positions of influence, and the swara-lagav is mostly linear, without the andolit treatment […]

 

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• Raag Hansadhwani •

S-R-G-P-N-S Hansadhwani translates to ‘Call of Swans’, a creature with rich cultural associations in the Subcontinent: Saraswati, goddess of music and learning, is often depicted atop a swan, said to symbolise purity, discernment,  and clarity of communication (n.b. While most scholars interpret the Sanskrit term ‘hamsa’ to mean ‘swan’, Rigvedic texts use the term loosely, […]

 

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• Raag Gagan Vihang •

S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S As per Ocean of Ragas, Gagan Vihang (Sanskrit: ‘Birds of Heaven’) “was composed by Pandit Dinkar Kaikini…we find features of Bihag, Savani, Nand, and Mand, although the raga maintains its independent melody [via] unique phrases such as SRPGm, GmRS, NDmP” – while others also point to the influence of Shankara. The Agra khayal innovator […]

 

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• Raag Dagori •

S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S The seldom-heard Dagori features prominent use of shuddha Ni and characteristic slides and glides between ma and Re. Seemingly invented by Jaipur-Atrauli gharana founder Alladiya Khan (also the progenitor of Maru Bihag and Jait Kalyan), and still near-exclusively performed by the khayal singers of that tradition, although detailed information is scant. While I initially […]

 

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• Raag Bhankari •

S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S A complex blend of several ragas, Bhankari was created by Gwalior guru Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’. His student Rajan Parrikar describes it as a “tantalizing melody blending facets of Bhatiyar, Jait, Bibhas, and Deshkar, while retaining an aesthetic coherence in the end product”. Ramrang’s renditions also overlap significantly with some interpretations of Bhankar – an […]

 

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• Raag Adi Basant •

S-rR-G-m-P-D-N-S An ancient form of Basant (‘Springtime’), named for its connections to the ceremonies of that season. Many see Adi Basant as the latter’s main ancestor, highlighting its historic prevalence in Dhrupad and Haveli Sangeet – and some, including Maihar musicians, consider it inseparable from Shuddha Basant (‘shuddha’, as well as referring to ‘pure’ or […]

 

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• Raag Rangeshwari •

S-R-g-m-P-N-S Like Parameshwari and Gangeshwari, Rangeshwari (‘Lordess of Colours’) was created in 1968 via murchana rotation of Ravi Shankar’s Kameshwari (itself dreamed up during a car journey through Bengal). Resembles a ‘no Dha’ filtering of either Patdeep or Kirwani, although its shape seems to be unique – with Shankar’s takes tending towards wide-open, poorvang-dominant movements. […]

 

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• Raag Chandrakauns •

S-g-m-d-N-S Chandrakauns is a spacious raga of relatively modern origin, only becoming distinct from divergent strains of ‘shuddha Ni Malkauns’ by around the mid-20th century. This Ni-for-ni replacement removes much of Malkauns’ symmetry and intervallic balance, with the chromatic leading-tone resolution (Ni>Sa) bringing more prominence to both swaras. Given these sharper tensions, it is often played […]

 

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• Raag Sonakshi •

S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S From my 2018 Darbar interview with Maihar bansuri maestro Rupak Kulkarni: “I created Sonakshi [‘Golden-Eyed‘] so I could experience a raga which was suitable for any time of day. I believe we have different mindsets depending on the hour: in the morning our mood is spiritual and fresh, and in the evening it is […]

 

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• Raag Shuddha Kalyan •

S-R-G-M-P-D-N-S A popular early night raga, Shuddha Kalyan ascends with the same 5 swaras as Bhupali (SRGPDS), and descends with the full 7 of Yaman (SNDPMGRS), leading some to title it ‘Bhoop-Kalyan’. Phrases tend to end on the poorvang-slanted Sa, Re, Ga, or Pa – and both the ‘avroh-only’ swaras (Ni & Ma) must be treated subtly […]

 

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• Raag Swanandi •

S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Fashioned by Agra vocalist Jagannathbuwa Purohit ‘Gunidas’ (also the creator of Jogkauns and Jaun Bhairav), fusing material from Bhatiyar, Bihag, and Bhinna Shadja into an engrossing new whole. Bhatiyar forms the main base, with its phrases being reworked to match the swaras of Bilawal thaat (e.g. PGRS; SD NDP, PDPm), with Bhinna Shadja contributing […]

 

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• Raag Simhendra Madhyamam •

S-R-g-M-P-d-N-S Borrowed from a South Indian ragam (mela #57), Simhendra Madhyamam takes the form of ‘Kirwani tivra Ma’, ‘Todi shuddha re’, or ‘Madhuvanti komal dha’. Despite the broad popularity of its Carnatic congruent (hailed by Charulatha Mani as “regal, meditative, bold, and striking”), the raga remains rare in the North – with its phraseological norms […]

 

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• Raag Sazgiri •

S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S Often described as being among the most complex of Hindustani forms, Sazgiri is fabled as a creation of Amir Khusro (1253-1325): the legendary Sufi poet, singer, and mystic of the Delhi Sultanate (although direct historical evidence for his authorship of the raga is admittedly scant). Komal dha is restricted to Poorvi-ang phrases such as […]

 

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• Raag Rasaranjani •

S-R-m-D-N-S A rare, oddly-shaped audav raga formed by omitting Ga and Pa from Bilawal thaat – essentially, ‘removing the major triad from the major scale’ (it can also be seen as ‘Bhavani plus Ni’, Rajeshwari Re-for-ga’, or ‘Durga Ni-for-Pa’). Vocalist Sakuntala Narasimhan, introducing a drut khayal, cites Rasaranjani as an innovation of her Rampur gharana […]